Ice-machine.



No- 808,898. PATENTBD JAN. 2, 1906. R". S. GATES. ICE MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

' ROBERT S. GATES, KINGMAN, KANSAS.

ICE-MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 2', 1906.

Application filed November 10, 1904. Serial No. 232,074.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. GATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kingman, in the county of Kingman and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

In the manufacture of ice ammonia has been universally used as therefrigerating medium and is objectionable because of the cost, thecorrosive action on the pipes, the danger to attendants, and thetainting of the ice in the event of a leak.

This invention substitutes air for the objectionable ammonia agent andprovides a novel apparatus to admit of the same being successfully andeconomically employed, the air being treated to bring about theresultant cold necessary to congeal the water in the freezing-tanks.

The apparatus disclosed is subsidiary to the method and is the result ofdevising means for effecting the several steps in the process.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting/the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodimentthereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whicl Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view of the instrumentalities comprising the machine. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the refrigerating-vat andcooler. Fig. 3 is a plan section on the line 03 w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: isa cross-section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transversesection on the line a z of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The refrigerating-vat 1 is of usual construction and is adapted toreceive the solution and the refrigerator-cans, said solution containingchloridof calcium or other chemical agent to prevent its congealing at acomparatively low temperature. An end portion of vat 1 is provided witha transverse partition 2, forming a chamber into which the refrigeratingagent isintroduced and through which the solution contained in the vatis circulated in the operation of the machine. Other partitions 3 and 4subdivide the cooling-chamber, the partition 4 being parallel to the endwall of the vat and with the partition 3 and having a short partition 5at its inner end to form a passage 6 at one end of the cooling-chamber.A series of openings7 are formed in thelower portion of the partition 2,near one end, and constitute outlets, and an opening 8 is formed in theopposite end portion of the partition to admit of the solution passingfrom the vat into the cooling-chamber through the passage 6. Thecirculation through the cooling-chamber from the vat is through thepassage 6, thence around partition 1, through opening 8*,formed therein,and back through the chamber and around partition 3, thence throughopenings 7 back into the tank, as indicated most clearly by the arrowsin Fig. 8. A series of baffles 9 are located about at the level of thesolution in the vat and cooling-chamber. These baffles may consist ofbars or plates, and their office is to retard any oil that may collecton the surface of the solution and prevent its commingling withthesolution inits circulation. A cock 10 is fitted to a side of thecooling-chamber and enables the accumulated oil to be drawn ofi atstated intervals. A compressor 11, of any structural type, is providedfor compressing the air and is adapted to be driven by any suitablepower. A pipe 12 conveys the compressed air to a cooler 13, whichconsists of a tank provided with a coil through which the compressed airis circulated, water being supplied to the tank to effect the cooling. Apipe 14 connects the cooler 13 with a receiver 15, into which thecompressed air when cooled is discharged, A pipe 16 connects thereceiver 15 with a cooler 17, which is preferably an extension of thecooling-chamber at one end of the refrigerating-vat. expanding-chamber18 is connected by pipe 19 with the coil 20 .of the cooler 17. Theexpander 18 consists, preferably, of an engine of the reciprocating typeprovided with a cutoff valve forv shutting off the compressed air at adetermined point in the stroke of the piston, whereby the latter may bedriven to the limit of its stroke by the expanding force of thecompressed air. The air in expanding in the cylinder of theexpanding-chamber 18 is reduced to a very low temperature and whenexhausted is conveyed by pipe 21 to a perforated pipe 22, arrangedwithin the coolingchamber at the end of the refrigerating-vat. Theopenings in the perforated pipe 22 are comparatively small to admit ofthe cold air being discharged in small jets, so as to commingle with therefrigerating solution and reduce the same to the required temperaturefor freezing the water in the refrigerating-cans. A board orplate 23 isarranged over the perforated pipe 22 and is upwardly inclined toward thedischarge end of said pipe and serves to confine the solution and insureits circulation through the cooling-chamber. This board 23 acts in thecapacity of a deflector and closes the space formed between thepartition aand the end wall of the vat. A cap 24 closes an extension ofthe pipe 21 and when removed admits of any ice formed in the ports ofthe expanding-chamber 18 being blown ofl. An air-compressor 25 isoperated by means of the force developed in the expansion of the air inthe chamber 18, and a pipe 26 connects the compressor 25 with the pipe12, so as to supplement the action of the compressor 11. A valve 27 isinterposed in the length of the pipe 26 to control communicationtherethrough. A short pipe 28 connects the pipes 19 and 26 and isprovided with a valve 29. A valve 30 is interposed-in the length of thepipe 19 adjacent to the connection of the pipe 28 therewith.

In the operation of the machine the vat 1 is supplied with achlorid-of-calcium solution or refrigerating medium, and the canscontaining water to be frozen are suspended within the vat and areimmersed in the solution contained therein. The compressor 11 isoperated and the compressed air is conveyed by the pipe 12 to the cooler13, thence to the receiver 15, to cooler 17, and to the expandingchamber18, where it is utilized for operating the compressor 25, and whenexhausted from the expaneling-chamber 18 is discharged into thecooling-chamber and reduces the temperature of the refrigeratingsolution and causes circulation thereof through the vat. The air aftercooling the refrigerating solution is liberated therefrom and isreceived in the box or casing of the cooler 17 and may be dischargedthrough pipe 31 or led to a coolingroom or other place for further use.The expanding-chamber 18 is, in efiect, a motor, and in the event of itsvalves and ports becoming impeded by accumulation of ice the valve 30 isclosed and the valve 29 opened and the cap 24 removed. This admits ofwarm air from the compressor 11 passing through pipes 12, 26, and 28into the chamber 18 to dislodge the ice formations, which are blown outthrough the pipe 21. After the chamber 18 has been cleared the cap 2 1is replaced, the valve 30 opened, and the valve 29 closed, therebypermitting the machine to operate in the manner stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In anice-machine, the combination of a refrigerating-vat, a cooling-chamberat one end thereof in communication therewith, vertical partitionssubdividing the lower portion of the cooling-chamber to form atortuouspath therein, a horizontal partition closing the upper ends of thevertical spaces forming the said tortuous path and having a verticaloutlet, a coil arranged in the upper portion of the cooling-chamber,means for circulating compressed air through said coil, a perforatedpipe connected with the said coil and arranged within said tortuous pathfor injecting cold air into the cooling-chamber for reducing therefrigerating solution to the proper temperature for freezing and toinsure circulation of said solution through the vat and coolingohamber,and an inclined deflector arranged above the perforated pipe forconfining the air and insuring its commingling with the solution.

2. In an ice-machine, the combination of a refrigerating-vat, anair-compressor, a cooler, an engine operated by expansion of the cooledcompressed air, means for injecting the expanded air into the solutionof the refrigerating-vat, an auxiliary air-compressor operated by meansof the said engine, a valved pipe 26 connecting the auxiliary compressorwith the air-pipe leading from the primary air-compressor, valved pipe28 between the auxiliary air-compressor and its operatingengine, wherebycompressed warm air may be admitted to the air-expansion engine toremove obstructing ice therefrom, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. GATES.

WVitnesses:

V. B. HILLYARD, T. H. JOHNSTON.

